Crimson Sunset
by DetectiveKateBeckettCastle
Summary: "His voice broke as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Lisbon." That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out." Lorelei finally gives up Red John, but her betrayal comes with a price. Jane is forced to accept that price, but when Lisbon takes matters into her own hands, she ends up being in more danger than she bargined for...


Crimson Sunset  
By: S.K. Knight

**A/N: Hi, there! I'm back with another Mentalist fic! This is a one shot set after the Season 4 Finale in Lisbon's POV dedicated to my psycho best Twitter friend, Erin. (Everrinn). She gave me a prompt.**

**Prompt: A sad story about Lisbon & Jane where Lisbon is in mortal peril & Jane realizes he has no way of saving her, with little to no Jisbon but I may give it a happy ending if I wished. Anyway, this is my interpretation. Enjoy! REVIEW PLEASE! ~DetectiveKateBeckettCastle**

**Disclaimer: Don't own The Mentalist or its characters**

* * *

_I could hear gunshots as if they were far away. Everything I could see was bright and fuzzy. I could hear Jane screaming my name as he ran toward me. I tried to talk but my voice failed me and my arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. He bent down next to me as I lay in a pool of my own blood, bleeding out. His voice broke as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Lisbon." That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out._

* * *

**24 hours earlier**

I stood in the observation room with my arms crossed, watching Jane attempt to pump Lorelei for information leading to Red John, as he'd been doing for the last four hours now. She hadn't talked.  
"I'm going to offer you this deal one last time Lorelei, talk and we'll make sure your prison sentence is shortened considerably. Refuse, and we'll make sure you rot for eternity." he told her.  
_Classic Jane, _I thought. _Always making promises he couldn't keep._  
Lorelei smirked. "Why would I do that, lover? After Red John has been so kind to me? I am merely his servant and serving time in his name would be an honor and a privilege."  
I could tell Jane was losing his patience, but I didn't interrupt. He didn't know I was listening, and I didn't want him to.  
Jane tried to keep his voice even. "Lorelei, I'm not playing games. Tell me where he is or else."  
Lorelei's cold eyes sparkled. "Or what, you'll kill me? You didn't even have the guts to kill your pretty agent friend, why should I believe any threat you make? You know as well as I do that if you kill me, your only link to finding Red John will be gone."  
My chest tightened as I realized the truth in her words, and I noticed Jane did too as he sat back in his chair.  
Jane breathed in calmly. "What will it take to get you to talk?"  
She answered immediately, a cold smile painting her features. "Assurance, lover."  
Jane's eyes bore into hers. "Assurance of what?"  
Lorelei sighed and folded her hands on the table. "Assurance that Red John won't be harmed or arrested."  
Jane frowned. "I can't promise that."  
Lorelei laughed and leaned back in her chair. "Well, I guess you don't want him as bad as I thought you did…" she taunted.  
I watched Jane close his eyes and sigh before opening them.  
"I promise." he assured her.  
It took me a minute to process what Jane had just said but soon Lorelei's soft voice spoke again.  
"You better be telling the truth, lover. If not, something might "accidently" happen to that agent friend of yours, Agent…Lisbon, is it?" she threatened with a smile.  
Jane glared. "If you tell him to hurt Teresa…"  
My breath caught momentarily as I processed what he'd said.  
Lorelei chuckled mockingly. "How cute, although I don't think you're in a position to make threats."  
Jane ignored her. "Tell me where he is."  
Lorelei sighed. "He operates out of an abandoned warehouse in Napa Valley, California."  
He slid a piece of paper with a pen and she wrote down the address. I slipped out of the observation room and into my office, careful not to let him notice me.  
I saw Jane exit the interrogation room and I pretended to be doing paperwork. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cho take Lorelei back to lockup and I heard her yell to Jane, "I'll never forget you, lover, never. Red John sends his regards."  
I waited until I saw Jane put down the address on a desk and go to make tea. I made my way quietly into the bullpen and signaled for the team to be quiet. I copied down the address quickly and put it back where it was.  
I leaned over to whisper in Van Pelt's ear, "Cover for me if Jane asks where I am. Tell the team."  
Van Pelt nodded and I slipped the copy of the address in my pocket. I grabbed my gun and coat and made my way out of the building. Jane might have promised Lorelei, but I sure as hell didn't. I was going to end this, once and for all, for Jane.

* * *

As soon as I drove up to the warehouse, I pulled my gun and stuck my cell phone in my left jean pocket. I locked my SUV and creeped silently up to the building, my back against the ridged gray metal, my gun outstretched in front of me. I knew it was stupid to go in without backup, but my judgment was clouded, my mind focused on one goal. The huge door was ajar and I slipped through it easily, watching from all angles, looking for any signs of life. Suddenly, a sickly sweetness filled my nose and I blacked out before I knew what happened. I didn't know what time it was when I finally awoke, but when I looked around I saw blackness and all I could feel was myself bound to a chair with tight cording. Then I heard footsteps.  
The voice was soft and smooth and I could feel his breath on my ear. "My dear Teresa, no words can describe how nice it is to finally meet you. I've been watching you and Mr. Jane for a while now, and though I've had the pleasure of making his acquaintance, I've never had the pleasure of making yours. It's a real treat, truly."  
I blinked, trying to focus my eyes in the dark as I groggily managed to reply, "You're Red John?"  
He chuckled, amused. "I assume you've heard of me."  
I nodded. "Yes."  
He chuckled again. "I didn't think it would be this easy, really. Lorelei led you right to me, I knew once she goaded Jane into making a promise that would require him to give up his life's work; it was only a matter of time before you decided to finish his mission alone. Subsequently, once Mr. Jane realizes I have you, he will come straight to me. It's brilliant, if I do say so myself. Now, to bait him." I heard shuffling and then I saw the faint outline of a laptop in the darkness. He set up a video call and waited. After a few minutes, Van Pelt appeared on the screen. The chair made a scratching noise as he moved me in view of the camera.  
"Boss!" Grace exclaimed, and I heard her call everyone over. Jane, Rigsby, and Cho appeared a moment later.  
Red John spoke from off camera, "Yes, as Grace so eloquently pointed out, I have your boss. If you wish to see her alive again, you will send Mr. Jane, alone, to the address my faithful servant Lorelei provided, or Teresa dies. You have one hour. Are we clear?"  
Jane piped up. "Crystal. I'll be there, alone."  
"Jane, you can't," Grace started, but Jane cut her off.  
"I will." Jane affirmed, and I saw the video link shut off.  
When Red John returned from where he was standing, I saw the glint of a knife. Red John chuckled. "It seems I might have been telling stories. Oh, well, what he doesn't know…"  
He came toward me with it and suddenly, I heard a familiar voice and I sighed in relief.  
"I'm here. Let her go." Jane said, stepping in the warehouse.  
Red John looked up and chuckled darkly at Jane, who was standing a few feet away, "No, I think I'd prefer to let you watch her die."  
With that, he stuck the knife in my gut and a sharp pain shot through me. It was agonizing. Red John undid my bonds and laid me gently on the floor. The pain was so horrible. I kept praying for something, anything to stop the pain. My vision got fuzzy and everything was bright.  
"TERESA!" Jane yelled, running to my side.  
Red John looked at Jane. "You have a choice, Mr. Jane, I walk out of here, or you chase me and let her die."  
Jane glared at him and grabbed my hand as I heard another familiar voice.  
"Not so fast." Van Pelt said, and I heard two more gun shots. I heard Cho and Rigsby running inside to offer backup.  
"I'm so sorry, Lisbon." Jane said softly and I heard Grace yell that I needed help. That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out from the pain.

* * *

**_Present Day_**

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the pain in my stomach. I took in my surroundings. I was lying in a hospital bed, in an eggshell white room. I looked down and saw there was no knife protruding from my stomach and the blood that had spilled out of me was gone. I examined the IVs and wires hooked to my arms until I saw someone enter the room.  
I smiled. "Hey."  
"Hey. Are you feeling better?" Jane asked, sitting in the chair next to my bed.  
I shrugged. "Can't complain, my stomach hurts like hell but I'll live. Is he…dead?"  
He nodded. "Grace shot him."  
I bit my lip. "Do you feel any better now that he's…?"  
"I suppose, I just wish I was the one that killed the bastard. Now Angela and Charlotte can rest in peace." he replied.  
I smiled again as he handed me a coffee cup. "What's this?"  
He smirked. "Your coffee, made just the way you like it. I figured you could use a pick-me-up after the night you've had."  
I smirked back as he kissed my hand. "Thanks."  
"Whether you choose to believe it or not, Lisbon, I'm always going to have your back."  
I sipped my coffee. "I know and I'll have yours."  
In that moment, I realized that having Jane around wasn't so bad and that we were partners, taking life as it came, together, and most days that was more than enough.


End file.
